Blind for locomotive-headlights.



No. 743,181. PATBNTED NOV. 3, 1903. A. MENTZER.

BLIND FOR LOGOMOTIVE HEADLIGHTS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 20, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

A. MENTZER. BLIND FOR LOCOMOTIVE HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1902.

2 sums-sum 2.

N0 MODEL.

No. -743,1s1.

NITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

ALLEN MENTZER, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

BLIND FOR LOCOMOTlVE-HEADLIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,181, dated November3, 1903. Application filed December 20. 1902- Serial No. 136,045. .(Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN MENTZER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,have invented a new and usefulBlind for Locomotive-Headlights, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention is an improved construction of blind forlocomotive-headlights, the object of the invention being to provide asimple and elficient construction of blind which can by the engineerfrom the cab of the locomo-' tive, thereby avoiding the dangerousoperation of working the blind from the forward end of the locomotive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blind forlocomotive-headlights which can be used in connection with anyconstruction of headlight and which can be quickly and easily attachedthereto and t0 the locomotive.

With these and certain other opjects in View the invention consists,essentially,in the employment of a folded or plaited blind or screenadapted to be'projected into the headlight-casing and expanded intheform of a circle while being so projected, said blind or screen beingadapted to occupy a 'centralposition when fully expanded and completelycover the headlight-lens, thereby cutting off the light completely.

The invention consists also in arranging a.

suitable casing upon the exterior of the headlight-casing into which theblind or screen is adapted to be withdrawn and carried when not in use;and the invention consists. also in means for projecting and expandingthe said blind or screen, together with means for contracting andfolding the same; and the invention consists, still further, in certaindetails of construction and novelties of combination, all of which willbe fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings formingapart of this specification, Figure l is aperspective viewshowing the practical application of my invention. Fig.2 is a sectional view taken through the casing of the apparatus, theblind or screen,

the piston and spring being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view illustrating the upper end of the device or thatportion thereof which projects into the casing of thelocomotive-headlight, said view illustrating the blind or screen in theact of being projected and expanded. Fig. 4: is a sectional view takenthrough the locomotiveheadlight casing and the casing of the apparatus,said view being taken upon a plane at right angles to the plane uponwhich Fig. 2 is taken, the blind or screen being shown in its folded orinoperative position. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the blind orscreen in its projected and expanded position. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional View on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail sectionalview of the blind or screen carryingbox, the blind or screen being shownin elevation and also the means for operating the same.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates an ordinary locomotive-headlight,the casing of which may be round or square or any shape desired, andconnected to the casing of the headlight at one side is a cylindricalcasing B, which is preferably arranged at an oblique angle and isconnected at its lower end to a shallow circular box O,which issupported by a short standard 0, bolted to the forward end of thelocomotive, thereby supporting the cylindrical casing B and the circularbox 0 in their proper relative positions.

The upper end of the cylindrical casing B has a rectangular-shapedopening B produced therein, and a similarly-shaped opening A is producedin the side of the headlight-casing, audnpon the interior of theheadlight-casing is arranged a plate D, having a rectangular-shapedopening D, which is surrounded by a guiding-flange D This plate D isbolted to the headlight-casing and also to the upper end of thecylindrical casing B, as most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 7,

and this plate is also preferably constructed with a flange D which isbolted to the front face of the headlight-casing, as most clearly shownin Fig. 2. This construction serves to steady the upper portion of thecylindrical casing and also the moving parts of the headlight-blind.

The blind or screen E is made of any suitable material suitable forintercepting the rays of light, and this blind or screen is folded orplaited, as shown, and its upper side edges securely fastened by anysuitable adhesive and flexible bands or strips F. The screen or blind isnormally contained within a holder G, comprising side plates G and thetop and bottom plates G and when the blind orscreen is folded and placedwithin the said holder the flexible strips orbands F will rest upon theinner faces of the top and bottom pieces G as most clearly shown in Fig.7. WVire cables H are connected to the lower ends of the flexible bandsor strips and are passed around pulleys I, journaled between the sideplates of the holder adjacent to its lower end, the

top and bottom plates being cutaway to permit the cables to pass aroundthe pulleys and through the said top and bottom plates. The cables arethen carried upwardly and are connected at their upper ends to plates K,fas

tened upon the interior of the headlight-casing, and also serve tosecure the upper ends of the flexible bands or strips F, said bands orstrips being passed around pulleys L, journaled at the forward end ofthe blind or screen box upon opposite sides of the said blind or screen.The holder G is of such size and shape that it will work freely throughthe rectangular-shaped opening produced in the upper end of the casingB, headlight-casing A, and plate D, and inasmuch as the upper ends ofthe cable H and the upper ends of the flexible strips F are fastened atthe same points upon opposite sides of the plaited or folded blind orscreen it is obvious that as the holder is forced upwardly the foldedblind or screen will be drawn from the holder and opened or expanded,the folds or plaits turning around the rollers L as centers ofradiation, and when the upper end of the holder has been projected to apoint approximately at the center of the headlight-casing a sufficientportion of the blind or screen will have been drawn out of the holderand expanded or folded, forminga complete circle, as most clearly shownin Fig. 5, and inasmuch as the side plates G project above and below thetop and bottom plates G and inasmuch as the cables and flexible stripstravel between said projected portions of the side plates it is obviousthat the innermost edges of the blind or screen will be held betweenthese projecting edges when the said blind or screen is fully expanded,thereby preventing any light escaping, as there is no crevice or openingbetween the inner edges of the blind or screen and the top and bottomedges of the holder. In order to project the holder upwardly and intothe headlight-casing for the purpose of opening and expanding the blindor screen, I attach a piston M to the bottom of the holder and connectan air-pipe N to the lower end of the cylindrical casing B, saidair-pipe leading into the locomotive-cab provided with a suitableregulating-valve under the control of the engineer, and whenever it isdesired to project the holder into the headlight-casing the valve isopened and air introduced into the cylindrical casing behind and beneaththe piston N. This forces the holder upwardly, and the cables and stripsconnected thereto operate to unfold the blind or screen, and so long asthe air-pressure remains back of the piston N the blind or screen willbe held in this position and the locomotive headlight completelyeclipsed, and this operation, it is obvious, can be accomplished fromthe locomotive cab without interfering with the locomotive-headlight inthe least, the sole purpose of the blind or screen being to exclude orcover up the light which would otherwise emanate from thelocomotive-headlight. In order to withdraw the holder and fold thescreen or blind therein as soon as the air-pressure is cut-off from thepiston, I employ a strong spring 0, which is attached to the bottom ofthe piston at O, the opposite end being connected to a shaft 0*, aroundwhich the spring is coiled a number of times, said shaft beingpreferably provided with a suitable winding mechanism, by means of whichthe spring can be wound up and held at any desired tension. This springis contained within the flat circular box. 0, the shaft 0 passingcentrally therethrough, and the said box is constructed with a movableside, so that access to the winding mechanism can be conveniently had.It is obvious that when the piston is forced upwardly, as shown in Fig.5, the spring will be drawn tight, and the moment that the air-pressureis released the tension of the spring will serve to draw the pistondown, carrying with it the holder, and owing to the peculiar manner of.connecting the cables and flexible strips the blind or screen will bedrawn back into the holder and will be folded upon itself as it is sodrawn back.

Thus it will be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple and efficientconstruction of blind for locomotive-headlights which can be used inconnection with any and all constructions of headlights, can be operatedentirely from the locomotive-cab, and when in use will completely screenor blind the headlight.

I have already stated that my invention is particularly adapted for thepurpose of screening locomotive headlights when the said locomotive isupon a siding; but it will of course be understood that my invention iscapable of other uses, as some signal systems utilize thelocomotive-headlight for the purpose of transmitting signals, and it isobvi ous that owing to the ease and facility of operation and the speedwith which the blind or screen can be opened or closed that my inventionwould be particularly adapted to this system. i

Other uses and advantages will also be apparent to those skilled in theart to which it relates.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with a locomotive-headlight, of a casing containing afoldable blind, means for expanding and projecting the blind in advanceof the light, and means for retracting the blind.

2. A foldable blind adapted to be projected into a headlight-casing, aholder for carrying said blind, means for moving the said holder andmeans connecting the blind to the holder whereby as the said holder ismoved in one direction the blind will be opened and closed when theholder is moved in the opposite direction.

3. A blind for locomotive-headlights comprising a foldable blind, aholder for carrying said blind, a cylindrical casing in which the holderis arranged, means for moving the said holder out of or into thecylindrical casing and means for connecting the foldable blind and theholder whereby the said blind willbe opened as the holder is projectedfrom the casing and folded or closed as the holder is withdrawn into thecasing.

4. Inalocomotive-headlight blind,the combination with a foldable blind,a holder for carrying said blind,the flexible strips to which the sideedges of the foldable blind are secured, the inner ends of said flexiblestrips being secured or made fast, the cables connected to the lower endof said strips or hands, the upper ends of said cables being fastenedalso, the pulleys around which the flexible strips pass and the pulleysaround which the cables pass,and means for movingthe holder, asspecified.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a casing secured adjacent alocomotiveheadlight, a folding blind resting therein, a holder adaptedto slide in thecasin g and carry the blind, flexible strips secured atone end to the casing and secured intermediate their ends to the blind,cables secured at one end to the lower ends of the flexible strips andat their opposite ends to the casing adjacent the upper ends of theflexible strips, a piston secured to the lower end of the holder,meansfor admitting compressed air into the casing beneath the piston, and aspring adapted to return the piston to its normal position.

6. In a blind for locomotive-headlights,the combination with acylindrical casing adapted to be connected to the headlight-casing, ofthe piston arranged within the cylindrical casing, means for moving thepiston back and forth in the cylindrical casing, a holder connected tothe piston and adapted to be projected into the headlight-casing, andthe foldable blind carried by the holder and means for connecting thesaid foldable blind to the holder, said means serving also to expand theblind as the holder is projected into the headlight-casing and fold theblind as it is withdrawn from the headlight-casing,as specified.

7. The combination with alocomotive-headlight casing, of a cylindricalcasing opening into the headlight-casing in advance of the light, apiston adapted to slide in said casing, a rectangular holder secured tothe piston and adapted to project into the headlight-casing when thepiston is moved forward, a blind adapted to fold within the holder whendrawn into the cylindrical casing, and to project from the holder andexpand when the holder is projected into the headlight-casing; and meansfor moving said piston.

ALLEN MENTZER.

Witnesses:

P. G. E. HANSON, CHAS. MARQUARDT.

